This bill gives historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) more flexibility in how they can spend federal grant money. Right now, these grants are limited in what they can support. This bill expands that to include arts programs—things like music, visual arts, theater, and cultural studies.

Specifically, HBCUs could now use these grants to help pay for students studying arts and culture, create new arts departments and outreach programs, and provide extra support services like mentoring, internships, and career counseling for arts students. The bill also allows colleges to use grant money to properly care for and display Black art collections, whether they're on display or in storage. Additionally, schools could partner with arts organizations to create paid apprenticeships and fellowships for their students.

The goal is to strengthen arts education at HBCUs and give students in these programs better financial support and career opportunities. Schools can also team up with the National Endowment for the Arts—a federal organization that supports the arts—to help carry out these activities. Essentially, this opens the door for HBCUs to invest more in their arts and cultural programs using federal funding that was previously restricted to other uses.

To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for additional uses of funds for grants to strengthen historically Black colleges and universities, and for other purposes.

Adams, Alma S.

This bill expands the allowable uses of grants under the Strengthening Historically Black Colleges and&nbsp;Universities (HBCU) program to include activities related to arts, arts education, and cultural programs.Specifically, the bill allows grants under the HBCU program to be used for&nbsp;<ul><li>providing financial and other assistance to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs;</li><li>establishing outreach programs and development offices for arts, arts education, and cultural departments;</li><li>providing comprehensive wraparound services for arts, arts education, and cultural students, including faculty and peer mentorship, work-based learning opportunities, guidance counseling, and career advising;</li><li>exhibiting, maintaining, monitoring, and protecting Black art collections in exhibition and in storage; and</li><li>providing well-paid apprenticeship, internship, and fellowship opportunities to students in arts, arts education, and cultural programs through partnerships with nonprofit arts, arts education, and cultural institutes.</li></ul>A grant recipient may enter into a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts to carry out these activities.